Legal system:
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice
Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April
2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
Presidency Council)
head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
20 May 2006)
cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives
Legislative branch:
bicameral Council of Representatives (consisting of 275 members
elected by a closed-list, proportional representation system) and a
Federation Council (membership not established and authorities
undefined)
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives; the Council of Representatives elected the
Presidency Council and approved the Prime Minister
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - Unified Iraqi Alliance 41%, Kurdistan Alliance 22%, Tawafuq
Coalition 15%, Iraqi National List 8%, Iraqi Front for National
Dialogue 4%, others 10%; number of seats by party - Unified Iraqi
Alliance 128, Kurdistan Alliance 53, Tawafuq Coalition 44, Iraqi
National List 25, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue 11, others 14
Judicial branch:
the Iraq Constitution calls for the Federal Judicial Authority,
comprised of the Higher Juridical Council, Supreme Federal Court,
Federal Court of Cassation, Public Prosecution Department, Judiciary
Oversight Commission and other federal courts that are regulated in
accordance with the law
Political parties and leaders:
Assyrian Democratic Movement [Yunadim KANNA]; Badr Organization
[Hadi al-AMIRI]; Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali
Bin al-HUSAYN]; Da'wa al-Islamiyya Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI];
General Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI]; Independent
Iraqi Alliance or IIA [Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid
al-MUSA]; Iraqi Front for National Dialogue [Salih al-MUTLAQ]; Iraqi
Hizballah [Karim Mahmud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats
or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP
[Tariq al-HASHIMI]; Iraqi National Accord or INA [Ayad ALLAWI];
Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI]; Iraqi National
Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan al-Khalifawi
al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM [Ahmad
al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO [Ayatollah
Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF [Muhammad Ali
al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or KDP [Masud BARZANI];
Kurdistan Islamic Union [Salah ad-Din Muhammad BAHA al-DIN];
National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Sadrist Trend
[Muqtada al-SADR] (not an organized political party, but it fields
independent candidates affiliated with Muqtada al-SADR); Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
al-HAKIM]
note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Tawafuq
Coalition, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and Unified Iraqi
Alliance were only electoral slates consisting of the
representatives from the various Iraqi political parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: an insurgency against the Government of Iraq and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas north, northeast, and west of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency consists principally of Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq; a number of predominantly Shia militias, some of which are associated with political parties, challenge governmental authority in Baghdad and southern Iraq
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 483-7500
FAX: [1] (202) 462-5066
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular
Section
FAX: NA